As Advocates For Improvements on Food Labels, Academy of Nutrition And Dietetics Supports FDA’s Proposed Label Changes, Calls for Nutrition Education for Consumers

For Release February 27, 2014

CHICAGO – Changes
announced today to the Nutrition Facts label found on most foods sold in stores
represent a significant step forward in helping people understand the label,
and connect the label more closely to consumers’ actual behavior, according to
the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Today is a big win for consumers,” said registered
dietitian nutritionist and Academy President Dr. Glenna McCollum. “The changes
announced today are long overdue. There has been so much new research about
consumers’ use of food labels, chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and
cardiovascular disease and how specific nutrients affect our health.

“Meanwhile, the Nutrition Facts Panel is more than 20 years
old and does not reflect the current food environment or recent scientific
research. Consumers want information they can use to make healthful choices.
And new research on consumers’ use of the label, eating patterns, nutrition
science and chronic diseases needs to be reflected on the label,” McCollum
said. “It was time for a change, and today the FDA is making progress in the
right direction.”

The FDA’s announcement comes nearly 20 years after the
nutrition facts panel was first introduced. Since the FDA indicated it would be
making revisions, the Academy has been actively encouraging the agency to
update the label to reflect the best science about the current food and disease
environment. The most significant modifications to the label reflect the
Academy’s evidence-based recommendations for promoting healthful eating, and
align with its Food Labeling Principles, McCollum said.

“The new changes are based on science, and they take
people’s actual eating behavior into account. Serving sizes for many products
have been updated to realistically reflect the amounts people actually eat at
one sitting, nutrient comparisons between ‘per serving’ and ‘per container’ are
available, and a new requirement will tell consumers how much sugar is being
added to a product,” McCollum said.

“In general, the new panel connects the expert
recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to real life. With the
new panel, consumers will be able to determine if a particular product in the
grocery store meets the Dietary Guidelines,” McCollum said.

“But there is more work to be done. Despite the improvements
announced today, many Americans are not familiar with how to use the
information on the existing Nutrition Facts panel. To make these changes fully
meaningful for consumers, the Academy recommends implementing a sustained,
adequately funded nutrition education initiative empowering consumers to use
the new label to make informed decisions to eat healthfully,” McCollum said.

Examples include helping people learn how to read and
understand concepts like “percent daily value” or “added sugars,” she said.

“The Nutrition Facts panel is only one source of
information, which is why sustained support for educational programs and
individual counseling by registered dietitian nutritionists is essential,”
McCollum said. “Registered dietitian nutritionists are the most qualified
health professionals to provide the nutrition education people need, and to
help them choose healthy foods to improve their health. RDNs are ready to help
consumers use the new label as a tool to make healthier choices in the store,
at home and when eating out.”

The Academy will continue to work with the FDA on future
initiatives, including the possibility of Front of Package labeling and the
sorts of health claims and structure or function claims that can be made about
foods.

“At its core, the label must be truthful and not misleading.
Content on the label should help consumers make informed decisions to build a
healthy diet. We must continue to work on making all labels clear and
understandable to consumers to improve the nation’s health,” McCollum said.

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All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all
nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy’s Board of Directors and
Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the
credential registered dietitian (RD) may optionally use “registered dietitian
nutritionist” (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s
largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is
committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of
dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at
www.eatright.org.